Dress form



NOV. 15, 1938, L jM 2,136,888

DRESS FORM Filed April 1, 1933 t IN VENTOR. ALBEET PELLEGE/N/ ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 15, 1938 UNITED :S TATE-S DRESS FORM AlbcrtPellegrini, Staten Island, N.

Application April :1, 1938, Serial "No. 199,351

.10 Claims.

This invention ,relates to dress forms and in particular to a .typeihaving. a collapsible part that facilitates removal of 'agarment therefrom after the same has been assembledand without danger of .tearing'the same.

While .I am awarethat garment forms of this type are known, I have found that in practice, .itis desirable to provide aform havingretractile shoulder and 'bust portions that permit the garment tolbe removed from theform without damage. Anobjeotof my invention is to provide one or both shoulder portions with mechanism that is operated from the exterior of the form to re: tract-said portions as desired.

A further object of the invention is to eliminate the yielding means employed in some forms in holdin the shoulder portions in extended position by providing positively operating rigid lever and link means that, in shoulder projecting position form a means for preventing the shoulder parts from being pressed inwardly from the exterior of the form by aperson working on a dress.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a solid link and lever connection between the shoulder parts so that said link and lever arrangement form a shoulder portion projection limiting means. This feature is important in that, if the shoulder portions do not protrude just enough, an uneven surface is formed at the edges of the shoulder openings in the form and pro-per fitting of the garment molded thereon is impossible. A still further object is to provide means for hinging the shoulder portions in place in the form opening so that said portions are yieldable in a vertical direction and when projected to open position will move vertically, automatically to assume a position flush with the shoulder of the form so that an unbroken even surface is presented at the shoulders of the form.

Other objects are, the provision of mechanism in a form of the character referred to which is solid and positive in operation, which can be readily assembled inside the form and can be manufactured at a minimum cost.

Changes and variations may be made in the construction shown and described without departing from the principles of the invention or sacrificing its chief advantages;- hence the invention is not to be limited to the precise structure shown in the drawing, in which Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of a dress form in which my invention is incorporated, parts thereof being broken away to disclose the arrangement of the mechanism, v

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation of the form shown in Figure 1 and illustrates the arrange .ment of thexmounting and shoulder operating :parts of the form,

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail view of a single shoulder therefor, the open and closed positions of the shoulder portion being indicated in outline,

Figure 4 is an enlarged shoulder portion section showing the fitting of said shoulder portion into the body of the form andthe spring hinge :means for automatically elevating the shoulder hinged as at It in the openings l3 and arranged to normally protrude from the form a distance greater than the waist from the center of the form, so that the upper part of the form is wider than the waist and provision must be made for decreasing the shoulder width in order to remove finished garments from the form, which includes mechanism to be described. The form is: closed at the bottom by a panel l'l through which extends the upright i8 upon which the form is revolvably mounted, said upright being the usual pipe or tube secured at its lower end in the wheeled base I9 and having foot pedal means 29 for permitting height adjustment of the form. The lower end of the form is provided with an extension for skirts, made from wire, and the upper end of the form is closed by the neck piece 2| and handle 22. I

The shoulder portion operating mechanism includes a block 23 mounted on the interior of the back of the form between the shoulders to which is secured a stud plate 24, the stud of which forms a fulcrum or journal for a lever 25 which rocks on the stud 26 and is connected through the medium of links 21 with the shoulder portions i5 which include blocks 28 upon each of which is mounted a bracket 29 to which each link 2'! is pivotally connected as at 30. The lever is rocked on its stud by vertical movement of an actuating means 3! including a turnbuckle 32 which connects the upper end of a rigid wire 33 with the portion and operating mechanism pivotal point or connection of the lever and one of the links 27.

The rigid wire extends through a tube 34 and is secured in any suitable manner in the lower end thereof, the tube being arranged for sliding movement in a sleeve 35 which depends from the panel I! and is secured to the upright l8 by a clamp 36. The lower end of the tube 34 has attached thereto a foot pedal 31 which extends through a slot 38 in the sleeve 35.

The stud 26 carries a spring 39 of the torsional type whose opposite ends engage the stud plate and lever, respectively so that the lever is rocked by the spring, the action of the spring being resisted by the turning of the foot pedal into a suitable notch 40 opening into the slot 38 of sleeve 35. When the shoulder portions I5 are to be retracted to permit removal of a garment from the form, the foot pedal 31 is moved down from the position shown in Figures 1 and 2 and this causes the lever 25 to rock out of horizontal position to pull on the links 21 and swing the shoulder portions l5 into the hollow body of the form, thus reducing its shoulder width the desired amount necessary to permit removal of a garment from the form. The spring 39 urges the lever to horizontal position, normally, and against a stop 42 formed on the stud plate 24. In this horizontal position of the lever and links, a rigid connection between the opposite shoulder pieces is provided which effectively resists any inward movement of the shoulder pieces from exterior pressure. Thus the shoulder members or portions l5 are positively moved to, and held in, either open or retracted position without the necessity of using any stop means exteriorly of the form. The necessary adjustment of the actuating means is accomplished by manipulation of the turnbuckle 32.

In the form of the invention shown in Figure 3, one of the shoulder portions only is operated, the operating mechanism being substantially the same as that already described for use in the form of invention illustrated in Figures 1 and 2.

In order that the shoulder of the form be smooth on top where the body and movable shoulder portions meet, I have mounted [the shoulder portion 45 on a hinge 46, whose hinge ear 41 includes an enlarged slot 48 that permits vertical movement of the hinge 46 to raise the shoulder portion so that its peripheral flange 49 forms a seat for the edge of the shoulder portion so that the latter is flush with the body of the form and presents a smooth surface at one of the important parts of the form. The hinge part 50 is secured to the body of the form and carries in its spaced ears 5|, the hinge pin 52 which passes through the hinge ear 4'! of hinge plate 46.

The shoulder portion 45 as illustrated in Figure 4 is operated in the same manner as the shoulder portions l5 shown in Figures 1 and 2 and as the portions are drawn inwardly or retracted, the same are slightly depressed in passing under the edge of the body in the shoulder opening, such depression being yieldably resisted by the spring 52A held in a suitable housing 53 in hinge ear 4! to bear against hinge pin 52. When the shoulder portion is projected to its limit, it will be raised to the position shown in Figure 4 auto matically by the spring hinge.

The clamp 36 is sufiiciently loose on the upright I8 to permit swinging movement of the sleeve 35 with the body as the latter is revolved.

It is evident that the spring 39 can be dispensed with if desired and the operation of the lever 25 carried out by a vertically operated rod or wire extending below the form to a suitable operating handle instead of the footpiece.

My invention is not to be restricted to the precise details of construction shown since various changes and modifications may be made therein Without departing from the scope of the invention or sacrificing the advantages derived from its use.

What I claim is:

1. In a garment form, in combination, a hollow body having shoulder openings, shoulder portions hinged in said openings for retractile movement, from a normal open position, to a closed position, a lever pivoted in said body, links joining the ends of said lever and said shoulder portions and means for actuating said lever to impart hinging movement to said portions, and said lever and links resisting exterior pressure on said shoulder portions when the latter are in open position.

2. In a garment form, in combination, a hollow body having shoulder openings, retractile shoulder portions hinged in said openings, a stud plate carrying a stud mounted in said body intermediate the shoulder portions, a rock lever pivoted on'the stud, links joining the opposite ends of the lever to the shoulder" portions, means for operating said lever to project and retract the shoulder portions and said links and lever being in substantially horizontal position when the shoulder portions are projected.

3. In a garment form, in combination, a hollow body having shoulder openings, shoulder portions hinged in said openings, a stud plate carrying a stud mounted in the body portion, a rock lever pivoted on the stud, links joining the opposite ends of the lever to the shoulder portions, means for operating the lever to project and retract the shoulder portions, including an actuating means extending to the exterior of the form, and said links and lever being in substantially horizontal alignment when the shoulder portions are projected.

4. In a garment form, in combination, a hollow body having shoulder openings, shoulder portions hinged in said openings, a stud mounted in the body portion, a rock lever mounted on the stud, links joining the opposite ends of the lever with the shoulder portions, means for operating the lever to project or retract the shoulder portions including a rigid operating member extending to the exterior of the form and a torsion spring on the stud engaging said lever for resisting movement thereof in one direction, and said links and lever being in alignment horizontally when the shoulder portions'are projected.

5. In a garment form, in combination, a hollow body having shoulder openings, shoulder portions hinged in said openings, a stud mounted in the body portion, a rock lever on the stud, connections between the opposite ends of the lever and said shoulder portions, means for operating the lever for projecting and retracting the shoulder portions including an operating member extending to the exterior of the form and a torsion spring associated with the lever, and a regulating means in the operating member for adjusting the latter.

6. In a garment form, a body having shoulder openings, closures for said openings, means for moving the closures inwardly and outwardly, hinges connecting the closures at their bottoms to said body, and resilient means in the hinges for raising the closures when the same are moved outwardly.

7. In a garment form, a body having shoulder openings, closures for said openings, shouldered upper edges on said closures for presenting smooth shoulder surfaces when the closures are in outwardly projected position, hinges connecting the closures at their bottoms to the body, and resilient means in the hinges for raising the closures when the same are moved outwardly.

8. In a garment form of the character set forth in claim 2, means for automatically raising the shoulder portions when the same are projected to present a smooth surface at the shoulders of the form.

9. In a garment form, in combination, a hollow body having shoulder openings, shoulder portions hinged in said openings for retractile and projected positioning, blocks in thebody and shoulder portions, a stud on the body block and brackets on the shoulder portion blocks, a lever pivoted on the stud, links connecting the ends of the lever to said brackets, means for actuating said lever to retract and project said shoulder portions including an actuating means and torsion spring, and means for limiting the movement of the lever.

10. In a garment form, in combination as set forth in claim 9, including resilient means in the shoulder portions hinges for raising said portions when the same are projected.

ALBERT PELLEGRINI. 

